This introduction to Jewish textual sources from the Roman-Byzantine period is one of the outcomes of a conference on “Rabbinic texts and the history of late Roman Palestine”, convened by Martin Goodman and Philip Alexander, that took place at the British Academy from 10–12 March 2008. The authors suggest that the handbook should be seen as an access tool to a body of literature that is generally unknown outside of the circle of experts on ancient Judaism. The book is meant to provide a basic introduction for “outsiders”, that is, students and scholars of related disciplines, especially historians of the more mainstream Graeco-Roman society. As such, it should be read together with the official conference volume (M. Goodman and P. Alexander (eds), Rabbinic Texts and the History of Late-Roman Palestine, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), which deals with methodological issues in a much more detailed and complex way.

In his foreword Philip Alexander states the authors’ and conference conveners’ broader goal, namely the integration of Jewish texts from late antiquity into the study of Roman-Byzantine history, which has been dominated by the focus on Greek and Roman source material originating from the Western Mediterranean region. Providing students and scholars of “classical” antiquity with tools to access Eastern Mediterranean Jewish sources will hopefully lead to a bridging of the gap between the disciplines and advance co-operation between Jewish studies, ancient history, and religious studies. In contrast to existing introductions, which are geared to the “serious” and more advanced student, the handbook attempts to provide easier access by focusing on the most important methodological issues and limiting the amount of information and bibliography provided to a bare minimum. In addition, the discussion is not limited to rabbinic literature but comprises all available genres of Jewish texts from the second to seventh centuries, that is, both documentary and literary evidence including translations (targumim), liturgical texts (piyyutim), and burial and synagogue inscriptions. This broader perspective stands in line with recent trends in scholarship which stress the diversity of Judaism in late antiquity and limit the significance of the rabbinic form of religiosity.

One of the major problems with assisting non-experts in gaining access to ancient Jewish literature already manifests itself in the list of electronic resources at the beginning of the book: almost all of these resources provide access to only Hebrew-Aramaic versions of the texts. Proper access to Jewish texts from Roman-Byzantine times requires a more than basic knowledge of the languages in which these texts are written, not least because the translations are always interpretations and also not readily available (especially with regard to Geniza material). The student knowledgeable of these languages would be the “serious” student who would profit from the much more detailed introduction written by Günter Stemberger (Introduction to the Talmud and Midrash, Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1996). The first-year student and ancient historian who do not know Hebrew and Aramaic will have problems accessing the literary sources themselves, and the tools and secondary literature mentioned in the handbook. Perhaps, however, the handbook will serve as a motivator to promote the study of Ancient Hebrew.

The book consists of a short “historical” introduction and subsequent chapters dedicated to particular literary genres (Talmudic texts, Midrashic texts, mystical (Hekhalot) and magical literature, Targumim, liturgical texts, historiography, apocalyptic, contemporary documents in Hebrew and Jewish Aramaic). The introduction presents a “few essential points” on the historical context and problems related to the study of the source material only. The focus is on the context of the text transmission and production. The authors stress that these texts developed at a time when there was no Jewish political organization in Palestine, when Jews lived in a Roman province alongside Christians and pagans. Can the phenomenon that no Greek Jewish literature from that time survived (or is identifiable as Jewish) be considered a conscious “choice”, to distinguish Jews from Christians, as the authors suggest? Many questions surrounding the origins and development of the Jewish texts remain open and provide research areas for future scholars.

While the expressed goal is to integrate Jewish sources into the study of late antiquity, the authors also stress the very difference of the Jewish texts: rabbinic documents such as the Mishnah and Talmuds are “most profoundly different from anything in Christian literature” (p. 16). Especially noteworthy is the absence of Jewish biographical and historical writings from this period, which are so common in early Christianity. In their difference the Jewish texts can provide an alternative perspective to that of Roman and Christian authors. It should also be stressed, however, that many similarities between Jewish, Graeco-Roman, and Christian literary forms, motifs, and ideas exist, such as the legal precedent, the commentary on a traditional base text (whether the Torah or Homer), and the anecdote and example story relating to teachers, philosophers, and other “wise” men.

All of the chapters dedicated to a particular literary genre, which constitute the main body of the Handbook, have a similar structure: contents; dating; language; printed editions; translations; commentaries; bibliography; electronic resources; manuscripts. Since so many different textual genres are dealt with here, only the most essential information can be provided under each of these headings. The bibliographical information is therefore usually limited to other introductory chapters and encyclopaedia entries which provide more references to relevant studies. Again, some of the suggested literature is in Hebrew and can be read only by those who know Modern Hebrew. At the same time each chapter lists the translations of the source texts into English and German, where available.

In summary, the book can be recommended to first-year students and ancient historians as a first step towards learning Hebrew, studying the texts themselves, and engaging in a more serious study of ancient Jewish history and literature, at which stage the handbook itself becomes obsolete.